Drishyam 3 Climax Was Kept Secret Even From Cast and Crew, Writer Reveals: ‘People Tried to Bribe Me for the Ending…’

The Drishyam franchise has always revolved around secrets, carefully constructed plans and information revealed only when absolutely necessary. Interestingly, the making of Drishyam 3: The Conclusion appears to have followed much the same philosophy.

Screenwriter Aamil Keeyan Khan has revealed that the climax of the Ajay Devgn-starrer was kept under exceptionally tight wraps during production. According to the writer, a large section of the cast and crew did not receive complete details about the ending, as director Abhishek Pathak adopted a strict “need-to-know” approach to protect the film’s biggest reveal.

Drishyam 3 Climax Was Guarded Like Vijay Salgaonkar’s Own Plan

Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Aamil compared the production’s secrecy to the methods of Vijay Salgaonkar, the franchise’s famously calculating protagonist.“Abhishek basically ran the production like Vijay Salgaonkar would.”

According to Aamil, the climax was not shared with a large portion of the crew. In some cases, individual departments were only told what they needed to execute a particular sequence without being informed why that scene or detail mattered to the larger story.

The strategy was designed to minimise the chances of Drishyam 3’s ending leaking before audiences could experience it in theatres.

Even Friends, Relatives and Crew Wanted to Know the Ending

Keeping such a closely watched franchise secret was apparently easier said than done.

Aamil revealed that actors, crew members and even his own friends and relatives repeatedly tried to find out what happens in the finale. Joking about the lengths people were willing to go to, the writer said some even tried to “bribe” him for the answer.

He nevertheless kept the mystery intact, joking that he remained loyal to the producers despite all the attempts to uncover the secret.

For a franchise whose appeal depends heavily on its final twists, the extreme precautions are hardly surprising. Drishyam has built its reputation on making viewers question seemingly ordinary details before eventually revealing how they fit into Vijay Salgaonkar’s larger plan.

More Than 100 Drafts Before Drishyam 3 Reached the Screen

Protecting the climax was only one challenge. Writing it was another.

Aamil revealed that the screenplay evolved through well over 100 drafts in different forms, leaving him with numerous folders and multiple versions carrying variations of the familiar “final” filename.

The huge number of revisions reflects the unusual challenge facing the writers. By the third instalment, viewers are no longer unfamiliar with Vijay Salgaonkar. They know he plans several moves ahead, hides clues in plain sight and rarely does anything without a reason.

That audience familiarity made creating another convincing surprise significantly harder.

‘How Do You Surprise an Audience for the Third Time?’

According to Aamil, this became one of the central questions while developing Drishyam 3.

The first two films had already established a loyal audience and a distinctive combination of family drama, emotion, humour, suspense and thriller elements. The third instalment therefore needed to feel fresh without losing the qualities audiences associate with the franchise.

Aamil described the task as an “enormous mountain to climb”, particularly because viewers had already spent years analysing Vijay and learning how his mind works.

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The challenge was not simply to create another twist. The filmmakers had to deliver a surprise that remained believable within the Drishyam universe while maintaining the emotional stakes surrounding the Salgaonkar family.

Drishyam 3 Makes Strong Start at Worldwide Box Office

The secrecy surrounding the film appears to have helped preserve audience curiosity heading into its theatrical run.

According to figures cited in the report, Drishyam 3: The Conclusion crossed approximately ₹272.8 crore worldwide within its first three days.

The latest chapter brings Ajay Devgn back as Vijay Salgaonkar, while Shriya Saran returns as Nandini and Tabu reprises her role as IG Meera Deshmukh. Prakash Raj and Jaideep Ahlawat are also part of the cast.

Directed by Abhishek Pathak, who previously helmed Drishyam 2, the film has been co-written by Pathak, Aamil Keeyan Khan and Parveez Shaikh. It is produced by Star Studio18 and Panorama Studios.

Drishyam’s Journey From 2015 to The Conclusion

The Hindi Drishyam franchise began in 2015 as an adaptation of the acclaimed Malayalam film starring Mohanlal.

The Hindi version subsequently developed its own strong following, with Ajay Devgn’s portrayal of Vijay Salgaonkar becoming one of the actor’s most recognisable thriller roles.

After Drishyam 2 expanded the story and once again challenged audiences to figure out Vijay’s next move, expectations surrounding the third film were inevitably enormous.

That explains why the makers treated its climax almost like classified information. In a franchise where knowing one crucial detail can change the entire viewing experience, keeping the final reveal away from not just audiences but even parts of the cast and crew may have been the most Vijay Salgaonkar-like move of all.